He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work for the community, banned from driving for 24 months and told to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police saw Murray asleep in a van which was parked outside a hotel in Blackpool on September 29.

The keys were in the van’s ignition and lager cans were strewn around the vehicle.

A roadside breath test showed Murray had 68 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Murray was described as agitated and incoherent and urinated twice in the police van on the way to the police station.

Once there Murray repeatedly refused to provide the required specimen for alcohol testing, saying he wanted to speak to a solicitor first.

He had a previous conviction for drink-driving.

John McLaren, defending, said his client had been in Stoke and worked an extremely long day finishing in the early hours.

He was living with his grandmother, did not have a key and did not want to wake her at that time.

A man accused of setting fire to his top floor flat in Wesham has made his first appearance at court.

Steven Joseph, 40, formerly of Garstang Road, Wesham, now living at South View, Kirkham, is charged with arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered and damaging property belonging to a couple in the bottom floor flat.

The offence is alleged to have taken place at Joseph’s previous address in Garstang Road, Wesham, on May 15 this year.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the case must be heard at crown court.

Joseph was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on October 31.

Kyle Major, 18, supply of heroine, cocaine and crack cocaine

A teenager arrested during an undercover police operation has appeared at court.

Kyle Major faces five allegations of supplying Class A drugs to a police investigator conducting Operation Moth in Blackpool.

Major, 18, of Fairhurst Street, North Shore, is alleged to have supplied cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine during 2017.

Major was remanded in custody pending his appearance at Preston Crown Court on October 31

Paul Bailey, 37, drunk and disorderly

A drunken man abused a policeman trying to help him and called the officer a bully.